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Wanted to know where I stand with my work on unreasonable…

Customer Question

Wanted to know where...

Wanted to know where I stand with my work on unreasonable policies. Work practices being changed constantly and I feel like I cannot keep up. Know my job anymore. Constant. Changes given like as an example 24 hours notice sometimes less. Feel overwhelmed slightly anxious about it crying feel like quitting

Lawyer's Assistant: Have you discussed this with a manager or HR? Or with a lawyer?

Yes told me to take my time. That we are all feeling the pressure and that there will be more changes coming. We are productive driven. Compliance driven. Stat driven. Still need to adopt all these changes

Lawyer's Assistant: Are you an "at will" employee? Do you belong to a union?

Union said they could do nothing told me to see a doctor

Lawyer's Assistant: Anything else you want the lawyer to know before I connect you?

Hi, I’m John a solicitor from Melbourne. I may ask you a few questions to narrow the issues you have raised.

From the description you have provided there is workplace bullying occurring to you. Part6-4B of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) empowers the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to make orders to stop workplace bullying. Bullying at work occurs where a worker is subjected to repeated unreasonable behaviour by an individual or group of individuals that creates a risk to health and safety: s 789FD(1). The definition of bullying does not include reasonable management action carried out in reasonable manner: s 789FD(2).

Bullying may involve a wide range of behaviour including harassment, victimisation and racial vilification; abusive, insulting, or offensive language or comments; unjustified criticism or complaints; withholding information that is vital for effective work performance; setting unreasonable timelines or constantly changing deadlines; setting tasks that are unreasonably below or beyond a person's skill level; denying access to information, supervision, consultation or resources to the detriment of the worker; spreading misinformation or malicious rumours; changing work arrangements, such as roster and leave, to deliberately inconvenience a particular worker or workers.

An application for stop bullying orders may be made by you under the Fair Work Act.

The Fair Work has discretion to deal with an application as it considers appropriate, including by mediation, conference or hearing. The applicant and alleged bully, as well as the principal(s) or employer(s) of the applicant and alleged bully will be given an opportunity to be heard and put forward their case.

If you have not done so you may also consider mediation with the employer as well. However, sometimes this is understandably difficult.

The employer has a duty to provide a safe place of work. This extends to providing an environment that is free from bullying.

The moment your file the claim art Fair Work you should also inform your employer on the same. The reason for this approach is once you inform the employer and if they terminate your employment you will be able to argue the position of unfair dismissal. Keep in mind you are are terminated there is a strict time limit to apply under the Fair Work Act that must be complied with when filing the application with Fair Work.

Compensation for bullying conduct may apply under anti-discrimination statutes if the relevant discrimination occurs as part of the bullying; compensation payments for psychological injury; compensation under breach of contract; tort against individual employees for intentional harm; vicarious liability of the employer for the wrongful conduct of an employee.

Example of some orders that are made by Fair Work Commission include: that parties to workplace conduct should not contact each other, should not comment on clothes or appearance, should be rostered onto different shifts so that they do not need to deal with each other, should not exchange any correspondence by email but should negotiate all work issues through their supervisor, the employer pay for counselling for the victim of bullying.

The main point is that you have a legal right to be protected and the law will come to your aid.

If you need any further information please let me know.

You can come back to this post any time to ask questions and there will be no further charges to you.

Don’t forget to rate me 5 stars as this supports me helping the community, and your important questions.

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DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.

The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided “as is”. To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the “Verified” symbol in the Expert’s profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).